Why is pornography bad?

[linwood]

Just for you, with apologies for the small type previously used. Enjoy (or not).

Bible principles make it clear that pornography is bad and unacceptable for those claiming to be Christian. “Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)
The Bible is not speaking of marital intimacy and pleasure. It is referring to wrong desires for immoral conduct. Such unclean desires can cause one to make sexual gratification more important than all else; in effect, putting it ahead of family and God. One viewing pornography is certainly not deadening his body members toward immoral sexual conduct.

Ephesians 5:3,4 makes it clear that persons engaging in such conduct and refusing to change do not have God's favor. "Let fornication and uncleanness of every sort or greediness not even be mentioned among you, just as it befits holy people; neither shameful conduct nor foolish talking nor obscene jesting, things which are not becoming, but rather the giving of thanks. For you know this, recognizing it for yourselves, that no fornicator or unclean person or greedy person—which means being an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and of God."

Following quote from ​

g03 7/22 pp. 6-7 "the National Foundation for Family Research and Education concluded that “exposure to pornography puts viewers at increased risk for developing sexually deviant tendencies.” According to the report, “the rape myth (belief that women cause and enjoy rape, and that rapists are normal) is very widespread in habitual male users of pornography.”
Some researchers say that the repeated use of pornography can interfere with the ability to enjoy and participate in normal marital intimacy. Dr. Victor Cline, a specialist in treating sex addiction, has noticed a recurring progression in the use of pornography. If left unchecked, what starts as casual viewing of pornography can eventually lead to an escalation to more hard-core, aberrant material. This, he claims, can lead to deviant sexual acts. Behavioral scientists agree. Dr. Cline reports that “any type of sexual deviation can be acquired in this way . . . and that it cannot be eliminated even by massive feelings of guilt.” Eventually, the viewer may try to act out the pornography-based, immoral fantasies, often with devastating results.
The course of this problem may be gradual and undetected, concluded Cline. He states: “Like a cancer, it keeps growing and spreading. It rarely ever reverses itself, and it is also very difficult to treat and heal. Denial on the part of the male addict and refusal to confront the problem are typical and predictable, and this almost always leads to marital or couple disharmony, sometimes divorce, and sometimes the breaking up of other intimate relationships.”​

Thank you for so perfectly evidencing my point.

My point was...

Originally Posted by linwood
I believe this is the latest theistic debate theory put forth by Ken Ham.

In addition to burying your opponent in reams of mystical documentation within which no rational evidence exists theists are now coached to post such documentation in the smallest possible text size to destroy the retina of the skeptic even before he discovers there isn`t any rational evidence within it.

Genius I say!!!

 

[Kathryn]

Pornography is bad because:

1. The scripts are awful. Way too many unintelligible words.

2. The music really sucks.

3. The plots are usually very one dimensional.

4. Very little character development.

5. Poor special effects.

 

[Kathryn]

OK now the "real" post.

First of all, I don't care what consenting adults do with each other in the privacy of their own homes. It's not my business. All I ask is that they don't MAKE IT my business.

My personal experiences have led me to the conclusion that I do not like what pornography introduces and causes in my own personal relationships though.

I was married to a man who became addicted to porn. It started to become a problem when he began needing to include it in our life in order to enjoy himself. It concluded with him requiring more and more excitement and risk in order to be "fulfilled," and eventually he got to the point where he was having sex with people he met casually online.

This is what destroyed our relationship. However, I believe it started to manifest itself when he became addicted to porn. Prior to that, he was faithful.

I realize that this is a simplistic analysis of the complicated demise of a 10 year marriage, but porn certainly contributed to the problems we had.

I am now married to a man who doesn't care for porn in any form, and it's a huge relief to me. I much prefer a relationship that doesn't rely on outside stimulus for exciting and satisfying sex.

But hey, that's just me. To each his own. If you want it or need it, have at it.

I do believe that the MAKING of porn is definitely wrong if it involves harming others, of course.

 

[linwood]

My impression has always been that those who invest sex acts with spiritual connotations and such are usually trying to cover up its raw physical nature with doilies and lace so as to make it more palatable. But to each his own. Need to feel like you're communing with a higher presence or getting in touch with some inner self to get your rocks off ? So be it.

Yes and when those doilies and lace are eventually found to be nothing more than a cover up (as they eventually are)problems arise.

Problems that cause deep emotional trauma.

We simply must stop teaching our children these fantasies about sex as if they were truth.

 

[Aquitaine]

Most of the time, bad lighting, terrible dialogue, bad direction, and a complete lack of anything erotic.

^ This.

 

[Walkntune]

Looking at statistics I believe it has destroyed more families then it has held together which is detrimental to society. How has taking (where lust is taking for ones own pleasure and making love is giving ones own self to another) done anything helpful in holding society together.

 

[McBell]

Looking at statistics I believe it has destroyed more families then it has held together which is detrimental to society. How has taking (where lust is taking for ones own pleasure and making love is giving ones own self to another) done anything helpful in holding society together.

Looking at statistics will not help.
Not if you are looking to honestly research it.

Seems to me that the statistics are pretty one sided.
I mean, how many people will admit that porn has helped their relationship?

 

[Walkntune]

Looking at statistics will not help.
Not if you are looking to honestly research it.

Seems to me that the statistics are pretty one sided.
I mean, how many people will admit that porn has helped their relationship?

And we have a different value system on what to build a healthy relationship on I am sure.
Alcoholics always share how much the alcohol is helping.

 

[McBell]

And we have a different value system on what to build a healthy relationship on I am sure.
Alcoholics always share how much the alcohol is helping.

Yeah, you dislike it cause it hurts some people and

BOOM!
​

it is automatically bad for everyone.

Give me a break.
​

 

[linwood]

Looking at statistics will not help.
Not if you are looking to honestly research it.

Seems to me that the statistics are pretty one sided.
I mean, how many people will admit that porn has helped their relationship?

I will!!

Where`s the survey?!

Is Barna gonna give me a call?



But then again neither I or my wife make the mistake of equating sex and love so porn can`t harm us.
Just like nothing on TV can harm us, and nothing at the movies can harm us, and nothing on the radio can harm us.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

*raises hand*

Porn helps our marriage. I mean, so does the well-timed glass of wine or bottle of beer. So look at it that way.

Personally, I think some people take this waaaaaayyyyy too seriously.

 

[Danmac]

Assuming that those who participate in porn do so willingly, why should porn be demonized or at least condemned?

If you claim that it provokes lust please explain why lust is necessarily bad, AND THEN be prepared to back up your contention that porn actually provokes lust with facts.

Behavior should always be judged by how others are affected by it. If love is a virtue because it benefits those that are affected by it in a good way, then things that affect others in a bad way should be condemned.

 

[McBell]

Behavior should always be judged by how others are affected by it. If love is a virtue because it benefits those that are affected by it in a good way, then things that affect others in a bad way should be condemned.

But the fact is that porn does not effect EVERYONE, or even the majority, in a negative way.

 

[Skwim]

But the fact is that porn does not effect EVERYONE, or even the majority, in a negative way.

My impression is that Danmac likes porn and thinks it's pretty harmless. If he didn't he would say so in no uncertain terms.

 

[tomato1236]

I think there is more than one reason. In a secular society, though, I would say the primary one is the addictive nature of it. When it's become an addiction, other, more substantial sexual outlets, like your real-life-wife, seem less exciting, so you go back to porn for your stimulation. I'm sure there are exceptions, but wives generally hope they can satisfy their men. Addictions of any kind are detrimental to a person's happiness, willpower and productivity.

 

[linwood]

I think there is more than one reason. In a secular society, though, I would say the primary one is the addictive nature of it. When it's become an addiction, other, more substantial sexual outlets, like your real-life-wife, seem less exciting, so you go back to porn for your stimulation. I'm sure there are exceptions, but wives generally hope they can satisfy their men. Addictions of any kind are detrimental to a person's happiness, willpower and productivity.

So TV is "BAD"
Video games are "BAD"
Love is "BAD"
Physical fitness is "BAD"
The internet is "BAD"
Sex is "BAD"

Your argument doesn`t seem to work.
:sorry1:

 

[tomato1236]

So TV is "BAD"

Addiction to TV is bad. TV is fine.

Video games are "BAD"

Video games are fine. I like em. But when I was addicted to Starcraft in high school, and did nothing else, and longed to play it when I was at school, and got mad at whoever distracted me from it, it was bad.

Love is "BAD"

Love isn't an addiction. But if your insecurity drives you to seek validation in every "loving" relationship available, you might as well face it, you're addicted to love. And I think we've all seen a girl who gets into a lot of bad relationships because she longs for that validation.

Physical fitness is "BAD"

Physical fitness is good. Addiction to exercise is bad. They actually have clinics for people who are addicted to exercise.

The internet is "BAD"

The internet is good. Addiction to the internet is bad.

Sex is "BAD"

Sex is terrific. Addiction to sex is bad.

I think my argument works great. I think yours is bad. You might also argue that food is bad, or breathing. There is a difference between appetites and addictions. You can go a long time without eating and while it's uncomfortable, you can exercise self control over it even until you die. I don't think there are a lot of heroin addicts who could just decide to stop and stop without help.

 

[tomato1236]

So TV is "BAD"
Video games are "BAD"
Love is "BAD"
Physical fitness is "BAD"
The internet is "BAD"
Sex is "BAD"

Your argument doesn`t seem to work.
:sorry1:

It just sounds ridiculous to imply that everyone who does these things is addicted to them.

 

[linwood]

It just sounds ridiculous to imply that everyone who does these things is addicted to them.

But that`s exactly what you did.

I think there is more than one reason. In a secular society, though, I would say the primary one is the addictive nature of it. When it's become an addiction, other, more substantial sexual outlets, like your real-life-wife, seem less exciting, so you go back to porn for your stimulation. I'm sure there are exceptions, but wives generally hope they can satisfy their men. Addictions of any kind are detrimental to a person's happiness, willpower and productivity.

Your statement above is a direct reply to the OP..
"Why is pornography bad?".

It seems to imply that all who view porn are addicted to it.
You even state(I assume in reply to the OP)...

OP: "Why is pornography bad?"
Tomato: "I think there is more than one reason. "

Clarify?

 

[tomato1236]

But that`s exactly what you did.



Your statement above is a direct reply to the OP..
"Why is pornography bad?".

It seems to imply that all who view porn are addicted to it.
You even state(I assume in reply to the OP)...

OP: "Why is pornography bad?"
Tomato: "I think there is more than one reason. "

Clarify?

I also said, "When it becomes an addiction." I think that clarifies that I was referring to "When it becomes an addiction."

I recognize that it's not always instantly addicting. But in society, it happens often enough that it becomes a societal problem. People get fired from their jobs, marriages are broken up, etc. So to a secular society, and to the government of that society, it becomes a concern..."WHEN IT BECOMES AN ADDICTION."